Recruiting Easier When You Are Winning

The army offensive continues, with nearly 400 LTTE fighters claimed killed in the last two weeks. The government claims a 16:1 combat ratio (16 dead enemy for each deal soldier). Given the reports, from late last year, of the LTTE forcibly recruiting anyone, especially teenagers, and low morale in LTTE territory, this ratio is possible.

The army is advancing, and the soldiers are better trained, and more experienced than in the past. Five years ago, an outnumbered force of LTTE gunmen could rout the army, sending soldiers fleeing, and often deserting. None of that now.

In response, the LTTE has increased its terror attacks, contributing to the heavy toll of civilian casualties (nearly 500 dead and wounded so far this year.) Some civilians are killed in LTTE territory as well, as the LTTE sometimes puts military facilities in residential area, to try and gain some protection from artillery or bombing attacks (or at least some useful propaganda images of civilians killed by the government).

Most of the fighting takes place in the bush, as troops pound, and then rush, LTTE bunkers, killing or chasing away the LTTE defenders. Now bunkers are built a kilometers or so away, but each bunker complex taken reduces the territory the LTTE controls.

The government has taken several measures to combat LTTE terrorist attacks. The public will no longer be allowed at school ceremonies, as the LTTE has found such ceremonies an attractive terror target. Nothing terrorizes better than attacks on children.

Read more,
http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/srilank/articles/20080220.aspx

Aerial Attacks to Support Ground Troops Conducted

Ongoing offensives of the troops in MANNAR and MULLAITHIVU districts received a further boost this afternoon (21) when two Sri Lankan Air Force sorties shelled LTTE gun positions, from where the terrorists were directing artillery and other heavy fire towards the troops.

Those two air sorties carried out between 12.00 noon and 1.00 p.m. enormously helped the troops to move forward more confidently causing more and more losses to the terrorists.

Pilots confirmed the enemy’s firing capacity was considerably reduced as a result of those aerial attacks.

Sri Lanka - Reggie Ranatunga sworn in as member of parliament

Reggie Ranatunga, a provincial council governor in Sri Lanka, was Thursday appointed a member of parliament for the ruling coalition to represent the Gampaha district, north of Colombo.

Ranatunga, the father of Sri Lanka's cricket star-turned-politician Arjuna Ranatunga, was sworn in as a member by the speaker of parliament W J M Lokubandara.

Ranatunga fills the parliamentary seat left vacant by the death of Sripathy Sooriyarachchi, also representing Gampaha district, who was killed on February 9 in a motor vehicle accident.

Ranatunga is the governor of the Sabaragamuwa province, south east of Colombo, and has also been a parliamentarian and deputy cabinet minister on a previous occasion.

Extracted from,
http://www.lankaeverything.com/vinews/srilanka/20080221035218.php

Jayalalithaa questions 'inaction' against VCK leader

The war of words between Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa on the LTTE issue continued unabated with the latter on Wednesday wanting to know why the government had not yet taken action against Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Thol Tirumavalavan for his alleged statements in support of the banned outfit.

Though the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) had been repealed, the Chief Minister was still harping on it and maintaining that there was no legal avenue to take action against the VCK leader, she said in a statement here.

She said the Centre had banned the LTTE under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in 1992 which was being renewed every two years. As per Section 39 of the Act, expressing support to the proscribed LTTE was a crime, attracting an imprisonment of 10 years, she contended.

Read more,
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200802201744.htm

Tamil Separatists Hail Kosovo's Independence Declaration

Separatist Sri Lankan Tamils have hailed the emergence of an independent Kosovo with Western support, saying it augurs well for the liberation of 'oppressed' minorities like the Tamils of northeast Sri Lanka.

Most Sri Lankans do not relish the prospect of their small island country breaking up on the prodding of powerful Western nations. But while radicals like the Janatha Vimukthi Permuna (JVP) would like the Mahinda Rajapaksa government to take a strong anti-West stance, the liberals are urging restraint on the plea that belligerence will only provoke the West to side with the Tamil separatists when it comes to the crunch.

In its editorial, the Colombo-based radical Tamil daily Sudar Oli said it was not surprising that the Sri Lankan government was the first to condemn Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence (UDI) Sunday.

Read more,
http://newspostindia.com/report-38193

Lankan refugees arrive in Rameswaram

Three Sri Lankan Tamil refugees, including a three-year-old girl, arrived at Arichamunai coast, following fierce fight between the Sri Lankan forces and LTTE in the island nation today.

Police sources said the trio Dhava Selvi (27), her daughter Thrisa (3) and younger brother Anthony Doss (19), hailing from Vavuniya in Sri Lanka arrived here with the help of a clandestine boat operator after paying Rs 12,000.

The intelligence sleuths and the local police interrogated them.

Extracted from,
http://www.chennaionline.com/colnews/newsitem.asp?

Top UN official arrives in Sri Lanka

Angela Kane, UN assistant secretary general for political affairs arrived in Sri Lanka today following a request from UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon for a weeklong fact finding mission, Foreign Ministry announced.

“The top UN official will come here for a week for primarily to review the work of the UN Country Team in the South Asian nation in all key areas,” a statement said.

“The visit is part of her regular consultations in the areas of her responsibility,” it added.

Foreign Ministry said that Ms. Kane will hold talks with the Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona and envoys from the European Union, Norway and India. She will also meet the opposition leader Ranil Wickremasinghe. The top UN official is expected to meet leaders of the All Party Representative's Committee (APRC) during her weeklong visit from Feb 20 through 26.

Exrtacted from,
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_08/February20124758JV.html

Sri Lanka fight to stay in series

Sri Lanka's match against Australia at the MCG on Friday is not technically a must-win game for the visitors but Mahela Jayawardene knows another defeat could be as good as fatal to their CB Series. Australia are all but into the deciders - a victory on Friday will confirm it - and they are taking the opportunity to again rest their spearhead Brett Lee.

However, Jayawardene said with several Australia batsmen out of form the hosts would be keen to regain their touch ahead of the finals. "I've played Australia quite a few times," Jayawardene said. "They don't take any game lightly. Even without Brett they've done pretty well, they've shown that they can control things out there in the middle."

Read more,
http://content-www.cricinfo.com/baggygreen/content/story/339086.html

No drop in Sri Lankan labour force, says mission

The Sri Lankan embassy has said there is no drop in the number of job attestations handled by the mission even after it raised the minimum salary of skilled labourers from the country at the beginning of this year.

Announcing this yesterday, an embassy official told Gulf Times that the demand for labour from Sri Lanka in Qatar has been steady even after the increase in the minimum salary.
“We are getting the same or better response than before even after the embassy effected a hike in the minimum salaries of Sri Lankan labourers,â€‌ the official said.

The embassy had hiked the minimum salary for skilled labour from Sri Lanka to QR900 from January 1 this year. Earlier, the minimum salary of a Sri Lankan skilled worker was QR650.

Read more,
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?